India's Prime Minister Asks Anti-Corruption Activist To End His Fast

India's anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare waves an Indian flag during his hunger strike in New Delhi, India on Thursday.
Gurinder Osan/AP
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Gurinder Osan/AP

India's anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare waves an Indian flag during his hunger strike in New Delhi, India on Thursday.

Gurinder Osan/AP

Anna Hazare, a 74-year old anti-corruption crusader in India, is on the 10th day of a hunger strike. Today Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked him to end his hunger strike saying parliament could discuss anti-corruption legislation.

Political parties have united to ask Hazare to end the 10-day public fast that has drawn thousands of supporters to a muddy expanse of open ground in the capital, New Delhi, with increasing concerns about his health.

"He has become the embodiment of our people's disgust and concern about tackling corruption," Singh told parliament. "I applaud him, I salute him. His life is much too precious and therefore, I would like to urge Anna Hazare to end this fast."

Another factor in all of this is that Hazare has become a popular figure in India. Thousands have hit the streets in his support and that has put extra pressure on the prime minister to get something done.

The Wall Street Journal asks this morning how much longer can Hazare fast? There's no quick answer but doctors say Hazare is stable, even though he has lost 13 pounds. Also, the paper points out, he is 74 and sudden weight loss of that kind could prove to be too much.